Chapter One: The Rise of the Wasteland

When I awoke, the world was a ruin.

I, Tyr, was once an ordinary survivor of that global nuclear catastrophe. In my memory, the sky was stained red by nuclear fire and the earth trembled under a deafening roar, after which I sank into an endless darkness. I had assumed my life had ended there, but to my astonishment, when I opened my eyes again, a hundred years had passed.

I struggled to sit up and looked around. Everything was desolate; the prosperity I once knew had vanished without a trace. My body did not seem to have aged from the long slumber; rather, it felt as if it had been frozen in that moment by some mysterious power.

Without time to ponder, I stood up shakily and began to traverse this strange world. Along the way, I saw only decay and desolation, occasionally encountering others who were also struggling to survive in the ruins. They wore tattered clothes, clutched crude cold weapons, and their eyes were filled with vigilance and hostility.

I arrived near a city. Though it was dilapidated, one could still discern traces of its former glory. Gathering my courage, I entered. I kept asking passersby about the situation, but the answers I received were vague, even contradictory.

"Excuse me, where is this?" I asked, stopping a hurried pedestrian.

He halted, eyeing me with suspicion. "This is Sun City, the territory of Lord Isaac."

"Lord Isaac?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, he is our ruler. He possesses a powerful army and governs this entire land." With that, he hurried away without a backward glance.

I felt even more bewildered. Lord Isaac, ruler, territory—these terms were all so alien to me. I continued to wander the city, hoping to find more information about this world.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over me. My body swayed, and I collapsed to the ground. Just then, a hand reached out toward me. I turned my head with difficulty, my vision blurred, and saw a girl looking down at me.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

I shook my head, fighting to stay conscious. "I... I think I'm just too tired."

"My home is just ahead. Let me help you over to rest," she said, supporting me as we walked in that direction.

We arrived at a humble blacksmith shop. She pushed open the door and helped me inside. The interior was simple but clean and tidy. She had me sit on a worn wooden chair and poured me some water, followed by some food. I immediately grabbed the food and ate ravenously.

"My name is Hygieia. I am the daughter of the blacksmith," she introduced herself.

"Thank you, Hygieia," I said with gratitude. "My name is Tyr. I just woke up in some ruins outside the city and know nothing of this world."

She nodded, seemingly unsurprised. "We often have wanderers like you appearing here. However, I have never seen anyone dressed like you."

I gave a bitter smile. "I don't know why it turned out this way either. I just want to know, what happened to this world?"

Hygieia sighed and began to tell me about the origins and current state of the world. She told me she had heard from her grandfather that the world had suffered a horrific nuclear explosion. After that catastrophe, human civilization collapsed. Seven rulers rose from the chaos, carving up all the land and imposing dictatorships over their respective domains. In this world, cold weapons had replaced firearms and other thermal weaponry as the primary tools of war. And Isaac was the most powerful and brutal of these rulers.

Listening to her, I was filled with shock and sorrow. The changes to this world were far beyond my imagination. I realized I had to figure out what had happened to me—why, after so many years, I was still alive, and why my appearance seemed unchanged.

Hygieia’s gaze was gentle yet inquisitive as she asked softly, "So, Tyr, where did you live originally?"

I tried hard to recall. The words "San Francisco" flashed through my mind, but a sudden, piercing headache surged like a tide, making it nearly impossible to think. "San Francisco... I... I can't remember." I clutched my head in pain, my body trembling slightly.

Seeing this, Hygieia quickly reached out and patted my back, her tone full of concern. "Don't worry, if you can't remember, don't think about it for now. San Francisco? That's a place I've never heard of. But your clothes are indeed strange; they are nothing like what people wear here."

I smiled helplessly, looking down at the outfit that felt so out of place in this era. "Yes, I feel like an oddity myself. But thank you, Hygieia. You not only saved me but were willing to listen to my incoherent ramblings."

Hygieia shook her head and took a set of old but clean clothes from a wardrobe nearby, handing them to me. "These were my father's. They are a bit old, but they should fit better than what you have on. Change into them; you'll be more comfortable."

I took the clothes, a wave of warmth flowing through me. "Thank you, Hygieia. You have given me clothes, food, and a place to stay."

*I know nothing of this world,* I thought to myself. *Going out alone would be too dangerous.*

I looked at Hygieia and said tentatively, "May I stay here? I can help your family with chores. I don't need money, just some food. I just want to thank you for saving me."

My sudden request seemed to catch Hygieia off guard. "Money... what is that?"

I rushed to explain, "The currency used to buy things. Is money not used in this era?"

"You must mean silver coins. We use silver coins for trade now. There are gold coins too, though I haven't seen any," Hygieia murmured.

*Right,* I thought. *Gold and silver remain the eternal hard currencies, even if the world has changed.*

Hygieia considered for a moment. "Tyr, our shop isn't large, and we can't afford to pay wages, but if you are truly willing to stay, an extra pair of hands is always welcome. I'll tell my father later."

I nodded with a smile. "Yes, Hygieia. I am willing to stay. No wages needed, just a roof over my head and enough to fill my stomach." Perhaps in this place filled with the unknown and danger, I could find the answers I sought—and gain the time to slowly understand this world and recover my lost memories.

And so, I began my new life in Sun City, at Hygieia's home. Every day, I helped with chores at the blacksmith shop and learned how to survive in this wasteland. Hygieia and her family became my most important support in this strange new world.